Runtime: 103 minutes
Directed by: Mary Lambert
Starring: Dale Midkiff,
Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby, Brad Greenquist, Miko Hughes
From: Paramount
Viewing then discussing this film now was a must:
I do not know on which day but I eventually will watch the 2019 Pet Sematary on the big screen; henceforth, watching and reviewing this first was a must. Note that I haven't read the Steven King novel. I imagine that most are familiar with the plot even if they haven't seen the film adaptations nor have gone through the book, whether it was general pop culture knowledge or the trailers... I wish the second trailer for the new film wouldn't have delivered a major spoiler, but for years now I have rightfully carped about how bad most trailers are. BTW, I don't consider it sacrilegious that this was remade.
Anyhow, the Creed family (Louis, Rachel, and kids Ellie and Gage) move from Illinois to rural Maine, at a house where large tanker trucks often drive by going way fast. Fred Gwynne is their neighbor, and he tells Louis of a special plot of land nearby. This proves to be a mistake... a tragedy happens and as “the ground has turned sour”, dad does something bad-despite warnings from both the material and spirit world-& it leads to an unforgettable finale.
I understand that the book is a tough read-not due to its quality but rather how it's all about dealing with death & grief. I am sure it is much more detailed and intense in the novel. The movie does have some moments that (to be frank) at best are kind of goofy; what happens at a funeral is the chief example that comes to my mind. I imagine the book goes into more detail as to why Rachel's parents hate Louis. I mean, why she hates her parents becomes obvious, but how they feel about him was a little unclear to me. Yet at least the general story is pretty creepy-and dark as hell, for sure-dealing with death & grief is still the most important aspect of the film and the scariest moments are some moments in the finale & I'll just mention one name: Zelda.
As people generally say, when it comes to acting it was Gwynne who delivers the best performance, with his unique accent and overalls. I have to note that toddler Miko Hughes did swell for a little kid; I am not surprised he continued acting for awhile there. The Ramones and their title song is cool, albeit it doesn't exactly sound like one of their typical tunes; at least Sheena is a Punk Rocker is in a pivotal scene and that is one of their classic songs
No comments:
Post a Comment